exhibition

Augusta Curiel: Surinamese Photographer 1873-1937

Foam proudly presents the exhibition Augusta Curiel: Surinamese Photographer 1873-1937. Augusta Curiel (1873-1937) was one of Suriname’s first women photographers, running a highly successful photography studio in Paramaribo together with her sister Anna (1875-1958). The exhibition offers a contemporary perspective on the people and landscapes of Suriname as captured through the lens of the ‘Curiel Sisters’ in the early twentieth century. Featuring both well-known and rarely seen images, this exhibition highlights their versatile practice and unique role in Surinamese society during the Dutch colonial era.

About the exhibition

Using a large plate camera on a wooden tripod, Augusta Curiel captured thousands of photographs in her Paramaribo studio and in various locations between 1904 and 1937, with the help of her sister Anna. Renowned for her strong sense of composition and technical skill, Augusta Curiel was widely commissioned to document the people and everyday life of Suriname. Her work spans a range of subjects—from special occasions and official events to religious missions, plantation labor, cityscapes, expeditions into the interior, and industrial infrastructures.

The exhibition presents vintage photographs, modern reproductions, postcards, and photo albums from various private lenders and museum collections in the Netherlands.

In 2022, Foam presented the exhibition Surinamese Wedding Portraits in collaboration with guest curator Lucia Nankoe. Her ongoing research on Augusta Curiel serves as the foundation for the new exhibition Augusta Curiel: Surinamese Photographer 1873-1937.

For more information or press requests, please contact our press office at pressoffice@foam.org.

Men and two women standing in front of a water plane

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Augusta Curiel: Surinamese Photographer 1873-1937